Pirates! Legend of the Black Kat

http://www.westwood.ea.com/games/pirates/

I picked this up yesterday, mainly because I liked the look of the big titted heroine on the front cover, but the game looked like a swashbuckling romp.

Anyway, what a nice surprise, I didn't have high expectations for the game, just thought I'd give it a rustle and it was the only new game out on the PS2 recently that I fancied.

It's a blend of a game. Sea battles and land exploration. The sea battles are like a spruced up version of Overboard. The land exploration is a simplified Tomb Raider - not based around puzzles more fighting enemies and collecting treasure.

The Sea battles are really lively and look very good, mainly due to the camera being fully under your control - you can pull out all the way like Overboard or you can zoom in down to deck level and watch the action from there. Ship control is simple, use the left analogue stick for turning and forward for opening the sails, there is even a gust of wind meter that builds up and allows you to catch the wind at speed for a short period. There is an element of strategy in that your ship can carry an assortment of cannon ammo (grape shot for ripping sails, burning pots for fire damage, poison pots for choking the crew affecting their aim). For a good all round arcade clipper ship battler its really quite good.

Tied into the sea battles are land exploration, collecting treasure and artifacts. The gold collected can be used to upgrade your boat and buy extra weapons for our buxom heroine (like throwing knives, sleeping gas etc). The "tomb raider" portion of the game involves jiggling around various islands and slaying the enemies with your cutlass and dagger. Attack combos are possible but only in a limited way, a bit like the triple A bashing of Phantasy Star Online. There is a block which seems to be effective if timed right against all but the heftiest of foes (some ham-fisted gorillas can actually hit harder and knock you in a daze). Striking the enemy also boosts your special attack meter, which collects sword upon sword from a single special to a double orange special to the triple crossed swords red special. You can fire the special anytime, as long as it has attained a sword (or number of swords) icon. These specials fire off like a Dynasty Warriors special, all glam and glitter with a touch of matrix-style bullet-time swirling. Satisfying, especially if cornered.

There are a few things lacking in the TR exploration, early on the islands are very compact and samey, there are some objects you cannot jump on top of, and you cannot splash around in the sea at the waters edge. All of these draw away from the generally pleasant graphics and pirate island mood. Our heroine does a nice rock slide down any slope thats too steep to climb, and she leaves footprints everywhere that can be used to judge some jumps and where exactly a rock slide will kick in, on some tricky hard to get at places. You save your game on the island at the nearest parrott on a perch. There are sometimes shops found where you can buy more kit - and you sense buried treasure with the rumble pack, and have to use the strength of vibration to dig up the chest and reveal the gems within. Other nice touches are when an enemy ship will sail past you as you are on the island, and you quickly board your ship and give chase.

The enemies re-spawn in an area if you re-visit it, and since the game advances the heroine character through items she finds rather than anything gained by engaging in combat, often the battles become tedious and you use your ability to jump and run unpredictably to escape the enemy, rather than run them through with cold steel. I think an element of character progression could have added to blend and put the icing on the cake. As it stands you sometimes wonder why you are attacking the "jason and the argonaut" skeletons for the sixth time running - just because you forgot the way back to the ship. There are several teleports around an island and these make quick exits back to the docks where your ship is berthed possible. There are bosses hidden in each group of islands and defeating them usually leads to you finding a torn portion of a map unlocking a new set of islands. Once you have unlocked them, you can pretty much roam as free as you want between the islands, and in fact some of the keys and collectibles have to be unlocked from one island in order to collect them from another.

In order to upgrade your ship, you need to dock at a fortress, on new islands this fortress is often held by the enemy and as well as taking on the enemy ships, you may have to bombard the fortress and any associated cannon towers. When enemy ships sink down to Davey Jones locker they often spew forth chests of gold, piles of wood and sail material that can be salvaged by picking them up. The wood and sail can be used to repair damage to your ship whilst at sea. You can also have a full repair in the fortress if you can afford it. Some of the islands are set at night, and the water effects are really eye catching, particularly one island where a massive full moon lights up the whole arena and the moon's reflection shimmers in the sea as you do battle. Some really nice lighting and environment effects on display.

Overall, its nice to see something a little different. Even if it is a blend of a couple of gaming styles that have come before. They tie in nicely and keep you amused - which is all you can really ask from such a title. It's apparently due out on the Xbox also.

There is a head to head Sea Battle mode, which I'd imagine will be real good fun after a night out on the grog.